SEVER

by Melissa Jane

  “Fucking Christ, Blythe!” I hear Shawn curse. “I told you to stay away from him. I told you he’d take great pleasure in destroying you.”

  Kane has the audacity to laugh. “And destroy her, I did. Many times.”

  “You fucking asshole,” Shawn bellows, muscles straining against the rope. “I’ll fucking kill you. I swear to God, I’ll—”

  Kane leans down to meet his face. “If I was fucking threatened by you, I’d have killed you a long time ago.”

  Tears drip from my jaw, splashing onto my thighs. “Why are you doing this, Kane?” I barely manage, my throat constricting.

  “I didn’t do anything. I simply presented job offers that you all took. How you conducted yourselves in that timeframe has nothing to do with me.”

  “You’ve lied and manipulated us all.”

  His smile is like the Devil. “Welcome to business, sweetheart.”

  “What do you want me to do with all these assholes?” Joseph asks from the door.

  Kane turns his back to us and talks quietly to his men. I strain to hear but am unable to make out a single word. Will this be the last time I see Shawn and Sam alive?

  I look to my sister whose bottom lip is trembling—it’s all my fault she’s in this situation. I should have left her alone and not interfered. Now I’ve put her life in danger.

  “I’m sorry,” I mouth through sobs.

  She nods, pursing her lips to stop a fresh wave of tears before mouthing, “Me, too.”

  I turn to Shawn, and while he’s reined in his rage, his glistening eyes speak of his suffering. He’s just seen footage of his wife cheating on him with the one person he despises. He isn’t judging me for the heartache I’ve caused, for he too played a role in this mess, but I see his hurt and that’s worse than rage.

  The two guards spring into action as Kane exits, they round my chair and untie my ropes. Samantha grows panicked, not wanting us to be separated. Shawn fights his own restraints, his wide eyes remaining glued to mine.

  The men hook an arm through mine and escort me from the room. I hear Shawn shouting, but I’m in such a state of shock I can’t comprehend anything, and soon his voice blends in with the music. They lead me down the narrow hall lined with the same blood-red patterned wallpaper. The gold sconces are dim, and I feel like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

  We enter another office, much grander than the one I came from. I gather this one belongs to Kane and the one Shawn and Sam are in is Joseph’s. Kane waits for me, leaning against his large table, Toby still in his arms. He nods to the men who release their hold before exiting the room, the door closing and a lock clicking behind them.

  It’s just the two of us, watching each other in the stony, silent room, a blanket of regret hanging over us.

  I get the feeling this isn’t how it was meant to play out and now, our relationship, or whatever it’s to be called, has taken a turn neither of us expected. Kane included.

  He places a sleeping Toby on the leather chair and folds his arms.

  “For the record, I never meant to hurt you,” he starts.

  “But you have.”

  “My business doesn’t affect who I am as a person.”

  “Of course it does. Trafficking women is not only illegal, it’s morally incomprehensible.”

  “Those women aren’t trafficked, Blythe. Every single one of them is here by their own free will.”

  “Even the girls who appear drugged?”

  “Your husband explained this to you, and he was telling the truth. We offer them something to ease their nerves.”

  “I would like to believe you, Kane. Trust me, I would. But I simply cannot believe that women would be willing participants in having themselves auctioned off.”

  “Our men are simply looking for a woman who’s capable of providing the type of unique companionship that meeting a girl from a bar cannot provide.”

  “Like what?”

  “Our clients prefer their relationships a certain way. Ways that often break from convention and border on taboo. They can’t openly live these lifestyles without facing backlash from the general public.”

  “That’s because the general public wouldn’t agree to human auctions.”

  “Maybe you’re right. They wouldn’t agree. Which is why there’s a strong marketplace.”

  Things are not making sense.

  “Why not just set up an exclusive matchmaking company instead? Isn’t that what you essentially claim to be doing?”

  “And perhaps that would be the more socially acceptable way of doing business, but as I said, my clients live particular lifestyles, some are very public figures who hold high-paying, high ranking positions. Some want to live a separate life on the weekends to the one they live during the week. Either way, these men, and women, who hold such wealth want assurance of their anonymity and be able to participate in an environment that’s safe. The girls your husband selected to be a part of this have their own objectives. They’re told of the scenario… rich man seeking companionship, must be willing to indulge their sexual fantasies and feed their appetites. No one is harmed and both parties are consensual. We use the auction method because money to these clients is nothing. They don’t blink an eye at wasting it. They work hard. They play hard. And fuck hard. It really is as simple as that.”

  “And you figured my husband would want a part in all this?”

  “He’s here, isn’t he?”

  Arrogant fucker.

  “He’s here because you sold him a dream, but left out the details that involved auctioning women. Once you had him by the balls financially, you were able to drag us all in.”

  “Not true, Blythe. If you recall, I didn’t want you anywhere near here. This is not your world. You found yourself in this position with your own persistence.”

  “You held my husband to ransom, fully aware of what it was doing to him. Fully aware of what it was doing to our marriage. When I thought it was me he couldn’t stand looking at, it was him. He couldn’t stand looking at himself because you were blackmailing him, forcing a good man to do things like recruit vulnerable women to be sold, while it slowly killed him on the inside. Blackmailing Shawn that if he ever told me about your dirty little secret and his coerced involvement, you would destroy us both.”

  “Your husband was hardly coerced.”

  “My husband was completely unaware of his role until he was already in too deep. Too deep that if he ever got exposed, he’d risk losing everything. So, you may have made an effort to keep me away, but I became involved the day you reconnected with my husband and took our money.”

  “The contribution Shawn made is just drop in the ocean.”

  “So, if you didn’t need him financially, why did you get him caught up in this mess?”

  He hesitates to answer, his gaze penetrating deep into my tormented soul. “I told you from the very beginning, Blythe. Shawn has always wanted everything I have. But I’ve only ever wanted the one thing he would never let go. You.”

  I feel a blow to my heart. “You’ve taken everything from us, all so you could get… to me?”

  He nods and in his own fucked up rationale, Kane Alexander has a love for me I will never understand.

  “Everything has been for you, Blythe. I had to have you and I was willing to do anything to make it happen, even if it meant destroying your life in the meantime.”

  I feel the room spin and just as I’m about to fall, Kane’s arms wrap around my waist, pulling me close against his chest. I feel his familiarity and lean into him, my ear pressed over his thudding heart. I let him hold me as my tears stain his expensive shirt.

  Can I forgive a man who took it upon himself to destroy my family just so he could tame his obsession for me? Kane Alexander can make all the excuses he wants about his deplorable business ethics, but there’s no excuse for how he manipulated Shawn and me.

  I go to push away but he holds me close, kissing down my cheek. Where once I would be instantly turned on b
eing this close to him, I now want to simultaneously vomit and hurt him. His mouth moves to mine, gently at first before deepening his kiss and claiming my tongue. It’s easy to become lost in a man like Kane Alexander. His charisma could charm a snake—his passion intoxicating. But his world is a dangerous one. He is dangerous.

  His cock presses against my stomach, my mind playing a montage of the intimacy we shared.

  Except it wasn’t intimacy.

  It was fucking.

  Fucking to forget.

  Fucking to forget the misery Shawn had caused.

  “I can give you everything you ever want, Blythe,” he says, breaking away, his forehead touching mine. “Together we can be a powerful couple. You my queen, and I your king. You’ll never want for anything.”

  “I could never stand alongside a monster. And that’s what you are… a destructive, morally corrupt monster, and you make me sick.”

  His grip grows tighter until it becomes hard to breathe, his mouth nearing my ear. “We all have a monster inside of us, Blythe. Some are easier to tame than others. Remember how you allowed me to fuck your greedy pussy despite you still being married. Even you have a monster lurking within. So, if you’re going to judge me for mine, I’ll show you just how monstrous I can be. But I promise you… your pleas for mercy will fall on deaf ears.”

  I fight against his hold, but to no avail. Kane is simply too strong, rushing me until my back hits the wall, pressing me firmly between, his raging cock at the ready. I grow into a panic because I realize, I don’t actually know this man. He isn’t who I thought he was and my heart hurts over it. But that hurt now competes with a gripping fear.

  I close my eyes, hearing the words leave Kane’s lips. He’d taken the liberty of warning me. Multiple times. But I failed to listen because I was swept up in the moment. A moment he’d artfully created.

  Beware a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

  He hadn’t been talking about Shawn. He’d been referring to himself the entire time and I was too stupid to realize.

  “Get off me,” I plead, pushing against his solid chest. He doesn’t budge, but his cock throbs against my stomach. “Kane, get the fuck off me!” I start to hyperventilate, the panic attack taking hold with its claws. Kane responds by claiming my mouth once more, holding me in place while he commands my lips. I kiss back. A farewell token for when I believed him to be real.

  And then I bite down.

  Revolted by the person he truly is.

  He growls, withstanding the pain until he can’t take it anymore, his blood in my mouth. He pulls away and I let go. At the same time, his backhand rises in the air, rage gleaming from pure black eyes. I prepare for impact but it never comes. Instead, he checks himself, lowers his hand and backs away.

  “I would never hurt you, Blythe.”

  “That’s too bad,” I say, pointing the Glock I’ve just pulled from his waistband. Kane’s jaw twitches seeing the tables have suddenly turned.

  Is he humored by my efforts?

  Does he not believe how angered I am?

  “You don’t know how to use that.”

  “I was stupid enough to fall for your tricks despite the warnings coming from your own mouth, but I’m smart enough to know how to use a gun.” I press the safety to show I’m not fucking around.

  “Think about us, Blythe. What we could have. Everything we could be.”

  “There is no us. And you won’t ever fool me into thinking there is.”

  Kane Alexander smiles but it’s bittersweet. “I only ever wanted you. But no matter what I offer, you will always love Shawn more.”

  A hard lump forms in my throat. “Because of you, now I have nothing. Do you think my husband will still want me after knowing we’ve fucked? After seeing the footage you so gallantly showed him?”

  “You answered wrong.”

  “You expected me to say ‘I love you’ instead?”

  “No, but I won’t be second best to anyone, including Shawn Cooper.”

  “Because he’s always been the better man. It just took you coming into our lives to have it all destroyed. You’ve taken it all away and left me with nothing. You can’t fix my heart, but you can at least replace some things you’ve taken.”

  “Like?”

  “First thing… transfer every penny you took from us back into our accounts and I’ll make sure I leave here in peace, with no blood spilled. Do it now.”

  His brows raise. “Like right now?”

  “I’m not leaving until it’s done.”

  Conceding defeat, Kane moves behind his desk and logs into his laptop. I stand behind with enough distance between us should he try anything. I watch everything, including the confirmation of the funds transfer, every dollar he ever took from us now safely back where it belongs.

  He stands and I step away quickly, aiming the Glock at his chest.

  Kane raises both hands to signal peace. “Anything else?”

  I see my little boy still on the leather chair, wide puppy eyes watching the commotion. “I’m walking out of here with Toby.”

  “You named him Toby?”

  “You got a problem with that?”

  He shakes his head, lips turning into a small smile, and I see a glimmer of the Kane I was once enthralled with. “He suits it. Anything else?”

  “Last but most important…” I swallow hard and steady my shaking hand. “You, Kane Alexander, are never going to contact me again. I disappear from your life as if I was never in it. And you disappear from mine, so you can never hurt me again.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that, Blythe. I finally had everything I wanted, and now you’re asking me to simply let it go? I’m a ruthless man. I don’t often not get what I want.”

  “You don’t have a choice.” I lick the tears from my bottom lip, his handsome face searing into my memory. “I was never yours to begin with.”

  EPILOGUE

  THREE WEEKS LATER.

  “Hey, whore, how’s the sun?”

  “Like rays of gold shooting from the sky. Warm and sunburny,” I taunt. Amanda laughs because I know she loathes the cold. The barman indicates for another round of cocktails and I agree a little too eagerly. Why the hell not.

  “I’m not jealous of the sunburn. You can keep that all to yourself. So, I’m calling because…” she continues, a little hesitant, “I’ve come bearing some news that may be of interest.”

  “I’m always terrified when you say that.”

  “Don’t be, tell your cabana boy to stop fanning you so you can concentrate. We’ve received a project, and that infamous textured wallpaper will look fabulous in their lobby area, so it won’t be going to waste after all.”

  That’s excellent news. “Ah, thank God for that.” Since the secret—not so secret now—project came to a sudden halt, we were left with a shipment of textured wallpaper and nowhere to hang it and a big bill to boot. “How’s little Toby?”

  “Missing his mom, but I’m a great aunty so stop stressing. I’ll send you a pic. He’s getting bigger.”

  “I’m missing his whole life.” And so far to date, I have, since I left a heartbeat after Tempest-Gate.

  “The way this boy eats, he’ll be bigger than you by the time you get home. So…” she says, and I sense some nervousness in her tone. “How’s things settling down?”

  “I don’t know, I pretty much ran from the situation and didn’t wait for the dust to settle.”

  “Probably a good thing you did. Wanna know my other piece of news?”

  “That sounds so ambiguous, but okay.”

  “The day after you left, Tempest was closed. So were Othello and Ophelia.”

  That’s odd. “Kane closed all his clubs?”

  “He sure did.”

  “Only one could be classified illegal, and that would only be if someone told the authorities, so I don’t understand why he would close them all.”

  “Word is… he’s left town.”

  “And how do you know all this?”<
br />
  “I have my connections. Plus, it’s in the news about the club closures. The news like beautiful people with some cash in the bank.”

  Amanda talks some more about work projects, but I can only focus on what she’s said about Kane. He obviously wasn’t raided or arrested for his criminal behavior at Tempest because the media would love to splash that over the news. Instead, he’s closed doors on all affiliated businesses and disappeared.

  Perhaps he feared I would tell.

  I certainly gave no indication that I wouldn’t.

  After he agreed to my terms, I followed him back down the hall, the Glock between his shoulder blades, and ordered the men to untie Sam and Shawn. Once we were almost out the back entrance, in an effort to not draw attention to ourselves, I waited for my husband and sister to be safe.

  Kane said he would never hurt me and I believed him.

  So, I handed back his Glock. In the dark exit lit only by a faint far-off street light, I could feel the palpable tension between us. I knew he could also which made the whole thing even harder. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to spit in his face and tell him exactly what I thought. But if I did, my words wouldn’t have been all unkind.

  With hesitation, he took the Glock and tucked it back into his waistband. I turned to leave, ready to make a dash. I could hear Shawn coming back having thought I’d followed him. He called my name as Kane took my arm and swung me against his chest. Cupping my face, he kissed me deeply and with a raw passion that brought tears to my eyes. He wiped them with his thumb as they fell, his forehead against mine. It was a sorrowful kiss. One that said a final goodbye.

  When he pulled away, he waited a moment, his handsome face barely illuminated as he said his final words, “Always my queen.” And then he slipped away, the darkness and shadows engulfing him.

  I felt suddenly numb again, like a piece of me was cut out. Shawn took my hand and pulled me out the door into the alleyway where Samantha waited with Toby in her arms. Her cheeks were stained in mascara, still visibly shaken from the ordeal. I had a lot to make up for, but right now, my family was alive and well.

  “So, I’ll see you soon?” Amanda asks, interrupting my thoughts as my mojito is placed on the bar.